


Where Do Broken Hearts Go?

by Aj090901, Myoneloveismusic



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Sharing of Pain, Sharing of feelings, Slow Build, rating may change later, relationship building
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-12
Updated: 2017-06-03
Packaged: 2018-10-03 08:37:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10240496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aj090901/pseuds/Aj090901, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myoneloveismusic/pseuds/Myoneloveismusic
Summary: Soulmates were thought to be the most intimate aspect of a person's life. The sharing of pain and emotions were claimed to bring the two people closer together so that they could be in tune with each other. Tim Drake had lost all hope of getting a happy ending with his soulmate, knowing that his chances were nonexistent after living through the same pain that Jason Todd experienced when he died. But years later when he feels a similar pain, there's no other explanation other than the return of his soulmate. But who ever heard of such a thing?





	1. Chapter 1

_Tim let the book he was reading fall to the bed next to him. He smiled as the familiar happiness and excitement that his soulmate would sometimes feel bloomed into existence within his chest. He knew that they were doing something that Tim could probably never dream of, the familiar swoop of his stomach that came before the surge of joy that left him grinning like an idiot was always more than welcome. Sometimes he felt their pain. It wasn't always bad. Just a light pain like they ran into the side of a table and got hit in the side. Other times, the pain was worse and almost made Tim think that they'd gotten into some sort of fight. It they were getting into so much trouble, they were probably someone who his parents wouldn't entirely approve of. But it was moments like these when he found his parents' approval to be the last thing on his mind._

_He flinched as a sharper pain erupted from his side. His soulmate must be getting into trouble again. But the hits kept coming. Across his chest, his back, his arms, his legs. No area of skin was left untouched. Tim screwed his eyes shut against the pain, trying to block it out, but it only kept getting worse, leaving him writhing in bed. He bit his lip to keep from crying out. He didn't want his parents to know how much pain he was in. They would start to ask questions and that would only heighten the disapproval that they would no doubt hold towards his soulmate._

_He choked off a gasp, eyes flying open as everything erupted into blinding white hot pain. It lasted only for a moment, but it felt like his whole body was on fire. As all of his sensations blurred into one he hoped that it was finally over, but then a pain more excruciating than he'd ever felt before happened. He thought his heart was being ripped out of his chest. Squeezed and constricted. He couldn't breathe. Something was wrong. He needed to know that his soulmate was okay, but he didn't know who they were. And the pain...the pain just wouldn't stop..._

Tim's eyes flew open and bolted upright in bed, gasping. He looked around frantically, finding some form of comfort in the familiar surroundings that his bedroom in the Manor held. As his breathing slowly calmed, he felt his sweat begin to dry uncomfortably, bringing goosebumps to the top of his skin. He checked the time and knew that he wouldn't be able to make it back to sleep for the hour that he had left before his alarm was set to go off. He never could with the phantom memories of the pain that had been all too real so long ago.

He shoved his blankets to the side and climbed out of bed. He opened his door and listened to the rest of the house. It was as quiet as it always was, but that didn't really mean anything. It would be just as quiet with Bruce in the house and moving around. He sighed and headed towards the stairs as his thoughts no doubt returned to what they always did when he had those dreams.

When he'd first experienced the pain he hadn't known what had happened. He knew something really bad must have happened to his soulmate, but it took several weeks before he knew what exactly that was. Tim had thought that they were still alive out there and that they might have just ended up in the hospital, but when Robin disappeared. When Jason Todd was proclaimed dead. There was no question as to just what had transpired. He never would've suspected the other man of being his soulmate and when he finally had the information, it was met with mixed feelings.

He was ecstatic beyond belief because Jason was his soulmate. _His Robin._ But his soulmate was dead. And he'd never experience the joy of learning what it was like to get to know him and love him. The parts of him that he didn't know as a result of their connection that was. And then he'd started questioning if Jason had any fond memories of him. Tim sifted through his life, questioning if anything he felt or experienced was enough to get through to Jason. He wondered if Jason had died thinking that he didn't have a soulmate.

Tim's feet brushed over the wood gently, not even making so much as a creak from his time spent mastering the art of silence. Yet, it was never quite enough to fool Bruce. He let his hand trail along the wall as he walked, finding a sense of calm in the way his fingers brushed against the old paint that was there. He was beginning to find his sense of peace again and the acceptance that he almost always had to search for when he had one of his bouts of dreams-turned-nightmares. Thinking back, perhaps that was why the pain was completely unexpected when it did come.

He gasped and feel to his knees harshly, clutching at his chest and twisting his fingers in the fabric of his shirt. He didn't even register the feeling of his knees hitting the hardwood floor beneath him, too consumed in the feeling that something was being forced into him. Something almost unnatural. He wasn't sure if this was worse then when he felt his soulmate die or not. His skin felt too tight and his bones ached in a way that felt like they were nearly being ripped apart inside of him. His stomach clenched and rolled. He briefly wondered if he was on the verge of throwing up, but another wave of pain quickly pushed any coherent thought aside.

"Tim!"

He tried to look up. Tried to figure out who it was that was calling his name, but instead of uncurling his spine, he only succeeded in curling in on himself further. He choked out a gasp, almost thinking the feeling in his spine meant that it had actually shifted. Maybe that it had cracked or forced its way out of his skin. He was almost certain that he was bleeding. He had to be with how much pain he was in. Everything inside of him felt like it was on fire. That it was being consumed in red-hot heat and that there was no hope of extinguishing it.

And then, just as quickly as it had come and raged war on his body and slender frame, it was gone, leaving him in a shaking ball on the floor. He sagged against the wood, letting some of its coolness seep into his cheeks. His cheeks felt damp and he realized that he must've started crying from it all. Tim tried to uncurl from the puddle that he was, but his limbs were still twitchy and stiff. He did manage to look up and find Bruce and Alfred hovering over him worriedly.

"Tim, are you alright?" Bruce asked.

Tim slowly pushed himself into a sitting position, his body feeling heavy and lethargic with every movement that it made. He braced his elbows against where his knees rested on the floor, doing his best to focus on the conversation at hand.

"I feel like I just got ripped apart. I have no idea what could've caused that," he said, rubbing at his cheeks and eyes.

Bruce shared a look with Alfred.

"Why don't I go and make some tea and you can continue this conversation in the kitchen?" Alfred interjected gently.

Tim nodded wearily and he hurried off to the kitchen. Bruce gently gripped his arm and pulled him to his feet. He took a minute to steady himself, feeling slightly dizzy before taking a few experimental steps forward. His strength slowly returned as he made his way into the kitchen and took a seat at the table. Bruce sat across from him, his worry evident in the tight edges around his mouth.

"How are you feeling?" Bruce asked seriously.

"I'm starting to feel better, like my energy is slowly coming back to me. Like, I said, I have no idea-"

"Tim," Bruce said, gently cutting him off. "I know that we never talked about this and I think that might've been an oversight on my part, but you do know about the whole soulmate process, right?"

Tim felt his blood run cold at Bruce's words. He'd never brought up his soulmate because by the time he knew who it was, Jason was already dead and Tim was on his way to becoming Robin. And Bruce didn't need the reminder, didn't need to know that the two of them were so closely linked, as unexpected as that might be. He sat back and nodded, watching Bruce warily.

"I think, that what you felt might've been from your soulmate. I don't know what could've happened to them, but-"

"Bruce," Tim said, gently. "I understand what you're trying to get at, but let me assure you that that's impossible. What I just felt can't be my soulmate. There's just no way."

Bruce's brow furrowed and he took a minute to think as Alfred came in and deposited the cups of tea for both of them.

"You're certain?" he asked.

"Yes."

"How do you know?"

Tim shook his head. "Just trust me on this, okay? I know that it can't possibly be my soulmate. I've long since given up on any possibility that I'd ever feel something from them again. There must be some other explanation to this."

"We can have Alfred give you a preliminary exam and if that doesn't produce any results, we'll send you to a doctor. I don't want to overlook any possibility that this might be some serious illness."

Tim nodded and held his cup tightly in his hands, enjoying the warmth that he pulled from it.

"What were you doing up anyway?"

"Couldn't sleep."

Tim stared at the deep amber liquid in his cup, wondering if he'd ever be able to openly talk about his soulmate. Bruce wasn't an option. The mere mention of Jason would probably just send him spiraling into a depression again. He closed his eyes. He couldn't let himself even entertain the thought. Jason was dead. And the dead didn't suddenly just come back to life.

It made Tim hate the world even more knowing that the Joker could walk around and continue to cause mayhem. That someone like Jason had to go the way he did and at such a young age. His life was stolen from him while monsters continued to walk around without a care in the world. Honestly, Tim wasn't sure how to feel about it anymore.

Most people would say he needed a therapist, but didn't everyone? Now all that was left to do was analyze the situation. There was always a way to figure out what caused the pain and Bruce wouldn't give up until he had answers. What intrigued him more was why he suddenly felt so angry. Tim gripped his cup tighter, worried that as soon as he opened his eyes, some unspoken rule would be broken and things would start to spiral out of his control, not that he had any to begin with. 


	2. Chapter 2

All his life Jason had felt pain, it came with living on the streets, but it meant that he was living. It meant that he was surviving. He lived for the moments when he could feel the hope of his soulmate shining so bright it outweighed the fact that he could rarely feel anything at all. Knowing that they were out there somewhere, alive and breathing...that's what kept him going even on the darkest of days. It's what kept him kicking and what made him want to live. It drove him to survive, even when what he did wasn't exactly legal or the most ethical, he found that he couldn't complain too much. He just hoped that if it ever came up with his soulmate, they'd be able to forgive him for the things that he'd done.

When he died, he knew even before the bomb went off that his soulmate was out there and that they knew something was wrong with him. He could feel their worry and it only made the ticking louder. It made him dread the end even more because they would be left without answers. They would be left alone, never knowing who he was or what had happened to him. The pain of holding that knowledge was almost worse than what the Joker had put him through. The realization that he would never hold them in his arms or protect them... The fact that he would never make them feel good and react and  **respond** to him... All of it brought tears to his eyes. Tore violent sobs from his throat. Because he wanted, oh how he wanted. He wanted to feel their emotions and know they were there even while he was holding their hand or kissing their cheek. But he wouldn't be the only one missing out on that, his soulmate would, too. His soulmate would suffer and it would be all his fault. Because he was weak and helpless when he needed to be strong. It was his fault for dying. For not being strong enough. Fast enough. All because he couldn't open a damn door. 

For so long, everything had been blank. He'd been without sensation because he was dead. That was probably why everything was so intense when he came back. More than just bringing breath and life back to his body, the Lazarus pit made him angry. For a few blessed moments, he felt powerful, like he could anything and there was no force in the entire world that had any hope of bringing him down. That lasted a matter of moments before he was brought to his knees, gasping for air and clutching at his chest. He felt as if his soul was being sucked out of his body. The few moments of unbridled invincibility was replaced with an emptiness and sorrow. Part of himself was missing, but he didn't know what it was. It had been years since he'd lived and walked on the surface of the Earth so there shouldn't have been anything tying him down. Or that's what he'd thought.

Later when he'd asked Ra's about the emptiness and violent change, he was told that his soulmate was probably dead and his soul was simply adjusting to the nothingness. His body wouldn't need to be on the receiving end of another person's feelings ever again. It would just be him. Jason. His anger and his desire for vengeance. His feelings had nowhere to go and there was nothing to be brought into him. The explanation brought Jason's world crashing down around him. It froze the bubbling rage for just a moment as the full impact of the statement hit him. He was alone. He hadn't even thought about his soulmate, but knowing that he'd never get to meet them was like he was dying again.

Jason had **died.** He had left the love of his life to fight on his own with no explanation as to who he was. And instead of living on like he'd hoped and consoled himself with, they'd only gone on to follow him. What made it all that much worse was that he was pulled back to the living. He was getting a second chance at life which no one else could say they had. He could make up for what happened and all the pain that had been caused. He had the chance to be with them and actually be happy, but it was ripped away by yet another psychopath. 

He wasn't finished though. He wasn't going to let this keep him down and keep him from moving forward and doing what he wanted. He wasn't throwing away this chance because it would probably be the last one that he would ever get. He would make those who hurt him pay in blood. This fight would end in one way, with blood greeting the soil as they dropped one by one, never to get back up. Never to hurt another person. He would do whatever it took because now, now there was nothing to make him think about the consequences. He had nothing left to live for. No one who would judge him for the choices that he would make. No one who could pull him back from the edge because it wouldn't matter.

He could only hope that one day he'd be fortunate enough to be reunited with them even if it was only in death.

As these thoughts filled his head he remembered a few moments of his life. Of their life, as distant as it had been from each other. He remembered how his soulmate was barely there, but he was there. Remembered the fleeting hope that would travel through their link. It didn't come often, but when it did it was beautiful and Jason had reveled in it. Wanted to feel it again. It made him question what Ra's had told him. He might still have a chance because...what if, what if HIS soulmate was alive and breathing. What if they hadn't died? What if it was just the trauma from Jason's death that had caused things to be this way? What if he was just closed off from the world, because he knew that he didn't have a soulmate anymore and he thought there was nothing else left for him?

It gave him a new sense of purpose. A new direction that wasn't just fueled by his anger and rage.

Jason knew he caused a lot of pain to those he loved the most. He tried not to, but things just never seemed to work out in his favor. It had started with his mother and her addiction. If she had never had to worry about him or his dead-beat father, the chances were high that she'd never have started doing drugs. She wouldn't have gotten so bad that it was impossible for them to even act like a family. His perfect soulmate. Even though he'd never met them, he knew they were perfect. They had to be, because the feeling of their emotions coming through their bond was like no other experience that he'd ever felt in the entire world. They'd been with him as he learned to navigate the streets as a kid and flew with him every night that he suited up as Robin.

Every punch, every fight, every time that he wanted to give up on what he was doing or the training because he was tired or hurting or just couldn't seem to get it...it was his soulmate who drove him on to continue. Because he would be making Gotham a safer place for the people who were put into danger, but for his soulmate as well. He never knew where they lived. They could've come from the same part of town that he had and he just never knew. It had made him want to work extra hard to ensure that he kept everyone safe. Because he never knew when he'd be lucky enough to meet them.

It brought about a new type of despair because it seemed that he would never be able to protect those he loved from pain because he was always the one to cause it. Indirectly or not.

Maybe that was why Jason sought comfort from Talia and her cold demeanor. He knew he could hurt her because she was just as ready to hurt him. He didn't have to tread lightly because he didn't care about her. Didn't love her.

"Jason." Talia's voice broke through his rampant thoughts, demanding his attention. He looked over his shoulder at her and scrutinized her stone-like expression that never gave away what she was feeling inside unless she wanted him to know.

"Talia," he muttered as he turned to her. The sunlight glimmered as it touched the pictures held loosely in Talia's grip, the sheen of the Polaroids catching the light easily. He caught a hint of red from what he could make out. The color red that always signified Robin. The **new** Robin.

His anger returned almost violently as he thought of Bruce and his ignorance. Jason had already died because of what the man had done and what he'd insisted on training Jason for. And now he was doing it to someone else. And that was something that Jason couldn't accept. Because someone else didn't deserve to know the pain of losing their soulmate. And if Bruce couldn't get that through his thick head after the first time that it had happened, then he just hoped his soulmate would be able to understand his actions against the world if they were still alive.

Jason would cleanse this world. He would make it better for his soulmate. No. So no person's soulmate would ever have to feel the pain of loss. The pain of murder. Just so some bastard could rip away one of the most precious things the universe could offer without a single consequence. Just because they **could**.

"What are you going to do?" Talia sat elegantly at the table, like a queen. He wondered if she ever had a soulmate. If she did she probably killed them to protect herself.  An assassin couldn't have any weaknesses in the world and a soulmate was the quickest way to get to a person that existed. Maybe that's why she was always so cold to everyone, even to the child he caught glimpses of every now and then.

"I'm going to fix the wrongs of Gotham and then the world." He turned away from her to look out at the sea. At the ignorant world that was crying for someone to do what its two heroes couldn't. "I'm going to do what Bruce never could."

"And what about Robin?" she asked, watching him cautiously.

"I'm going to show him that he made the worst decision of his life by putting on that uniform." The water glimmered with the reflected sunlight in front of him. "And that he should've taken more caution in embracing the mantle of Robin."

Talia smiled, vicious, dark, and poisonous. "Excellent."


	3. Chapter 3

_The man in the red hood, a symbol of terror for those who opposed him. Taking on the mantel of the man who ruined my life, I possess the opportunity to seek vengeance. For HIM, not just for myself. For my soulmate. For the person who I failed to protect when they needed me. I would use this mantel to bring mayhem on Gotham first. Upend what has so carefully been put in place. I'll destroy the cartels from the inside. No not destroy, I'll control their forces. Take the power out from under the people who'd worked so hard to take it for themselves in the first place. It was the only way to control the chaos. It_ is _the only way to control the chaos._ _This wouldn't play into Bruce's hands, wouldn't follow his beliefs. But Bruce was just a coward. Too afraid to take the steps necessary to protect the world and keep the chaos from returning. Too afraid to actually make Gotham better because then he wouldn't have anything left. I'm willing to take these steps. I'm willing to risk everything and tread waters I promised to never walk into. Because it's the only way. It's the only thing that I can do or could ever do to make up for leaving my soulmate behind.  
_

Going back to Gotham was like going home. Except Jason was stuck outside in the pouring rain. Left to look at the welcoming facade of the house, but never quite getting the door open to go inside and be where he belonged. Jason knew Alfred would be at the manor. That alone made him want to go back-if not for the compassionate old man, then for his delicious food. Something inside of him begged him to take the steps needed to be seen from the garden. Wanted to leave the decision up to someone else so that he wouldn't have to take the leap. Alfred would know immediately that someone was there, that's just who he was. His soul pulled and yanked like a petulant child trying to get to a new toy... But there was nothing there for him now. It was just a home and maybe, just maybe, that's what he truly wanted. But he had other things that he needed to take care of first. People like him didn't get to walk back into their comfortable lives. Didn't get to have a loving partner waiting for them when they got back to their house or apartment.

Getting control of the bosses was suspiciously easy. They boasted and gloated about the power that they held, yet they were cowards unwilling to stand up to the face of adversity for fear of a few broken bones. Jason still broke a few bones anyway. He couldn't let people start to think that they could take advantage of him. Black mask was more of a problem, but he'd be dealt with in time. And so would the Joker when he got his hands on him. There was nothing and no one who would be able to keep Jason from getting his revenge. From finally taking out the man who had ruined him. It was obvious Batman knew there was a new player in town. Jason wouldn't have been able to hide his presence if he tried since the movements of the gangs was obvious. It was so different from how the groups normally operated that it would've immediately sent up a red flag. Batman stayed out later. Like he almost thought he'd be able to catch Jason. He wanted to scoff. Especially since he'd learned from the best. Batman even went to far as to call in other heroes like Dick, who was back to help him figure out what was going on.

Jason scowled as he looked across the buildings of Gotham.

_Honestly, I hadn't meant for Dick to injure his knee when I threw that explosive. I just didn't want them to figure out who I was or what I was planning. Yet. Plus, I had yet to see my replacement on my path. He's always on a different route, but sometimes our paths cross. Yet I've never seen him, strangely enough. I should probably give credit where it's due. Especially if he really is going along those routes and hasn't just hacked the GPS to throw me off his trail. If he'd done that then it would mean he's a better hacker than Barbara. Which I don't believe is possible._

_When I finally do spot him, or when we inevitably run into each other, I need to be prepared to do what needs to be done. I don't hate this kid, I couldn't hate him even if I tried. I only hate what he's done to me, even if it wasn't his intention. He'll never understand the pain I've felt. He'll never be in my place and wonder if his soulmate's really alive or they've been lost forever. I bet his soulmate is the pretty blonde that's always in photos with him. They always seem pretty close. I don't know anything about him, besides what Talia gave me in his file. Which wasn't a lot. You'd think that with their resources they'd have more information, but Ra's doesn't even know how he came into the picture. One minute Batman was on a downward spiral and the next he's calm, back to following the mission that he'd set out for himself all those years ago. A few months later and a trained Robin is back out on the streets. There's no telling what pain he had felt during those months, but he was only in the way._

Jason jumped down into the back of a dark alley near the usual spots where the working girls hung out.

"Hey, Red." Camille said as she headed his way. Going by her expression of unbridled anger, Jason knew that something must've happened to someone already.

"What is it?" Jason growled, voice coming out an octave lower than what it normally sounded like. The voice modifier was originally to hide from Batman, but now it's for everyone. It's easier that way and keeps people from poking around in areas where they don't belong.

"One of the girls said she saw Robin and Nightwing over on 2nd," she answered hastily. Jason grunted, which caused her to raise one of her pink eyebrows in disbelief. "They're scaring the girls off and that's a popular street. Plus, I know you've been looking for one of them."

"Whatever, I'll handle it. Just tell your girls not to worry and they'll be able to go back and work there soon." Jason walked away from her with an irritated huff so that he could climb the fire escape and return to the roof. He couldn't explain why he was so irritated by the knowledge the two had made an appearance. Maybe it was because he'd just been thinking about them and couldn't ever seem to escape their looming presence. Even when he was just crashed in one of his safehouses, the thoughts were still there in the back of his mind, almost as though the Bats were waiting for him to screw up so that they could take him down. 

2nd street was only about a mile from where he was standing, but he couldn't see anyone moving across the rooftops from there. It wasn't worth it to be spot by Dick, he'd always been better than him. Always given him some sort of goal or standard that he'd never be able to reach. Jason also didn't have a clue how well his skill had improved over the time that he'd been gone. Dick wasn't the person he was looking for anyway. The fewer people who actually saw him in action, the better. It would be in his favor to keep himself out of sight as long as possible.

He turned on his heel and headed in the opposite direction. He needed time to think about how he was going to approach that situation and do what needed to be done. He couldn't leave the girls hanging when they relied on him to keep them somewhat secure in their business. As he ran across the rooftops, the thoughts of home and Bruce and Alfred came back yet again. He missed them. So much. He wouldn't ever admit it, but it was true. His love for Bruce would always remain because he did so much for him in such a short amount of time. He forgave him, but trust would always be another matter.

Jason froze as a sound broke through his thoughts. It sounded like a rustle, almost comically what people would imagine the sound of Superman to be as he flew through the air. He'd been spotted. And considering both Nightwing and Robin were on the other side of town, there was no question that it must've been Bruce. Their confrontation was going to happen regardless of how much he wanted to avoid it. He turned, ready to face Bruce for what he was. His head snapping to the side as a fist immediately connected with his helmet.

"Who are you?" he growled. Jason wanted to laugh, because of course that would be the first thing to come out of his mouth when they finally met up. His kids had more bite than him. Just last week Jason had run into Damian and gotten the shit beaten out of him and his ego. But the kid was raised by assassins. Jason scrambled backwards to put some space in between the two of them. The last thing that he wanted was to be taken down and dragged back to the Cave. It was too soon for everything to be coming out. He wanted to keep his identity hidden for a little longer at least.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Jason taunted. It was nostalgic in a way. Reminded him of their first meeting and how he used to talk back to him as kid. Even after he'd been taken in by Bruce and brought to the Manor. He turned and quickly vaulted across the gaps between the roof. Bruce would follow. His curiosity would get the better of him. But he'd lead him as far across Gotham as he wanted. Away from Dick and his Replacement and toward where Damian would undoubtedly be. If he brought Damian into things, Bruce might just get a little reckless. Jason heard a frustrated noise come from behind him. He must've already caught on to what he was planning to do.

They hadn't made it very far by the time Damian showed up. Maybe a handful of blocks. But as soon as the kid was there, Bruce was stepping back and pulling him behind him. Jason hated that the action hurt him a little. He didn't remember Bruce ever showing such protective instincts over him. He was more willing to let Jason step into the fight and work out his anger. Regardless, Bruce should know that he wouldn't hurt kids. Even though he still didn't know who he was, he hadn't done anything to hurt the kids living in bad homes or on the streets. If anything, he'd helped protect them and made their lives just a little bit easier.

"Tell me who you are." Bruce's voice sounded tired. He'd lost the edge that he'd had before. Jason wasn't sure if it was because Damian was around now and he was weary, letting just a little bit of emotion slip through. He wondered if he really was tired. Wondered what exactly he was thinking or had some sort of idea of who was hiding behind the helmet. But that would all have to wait. If anything, Jason was prepared to draw this out and make him squirm. Because Jason had his own questions that needed answering and he'd sooner get killed again than give Bruce an advantage in this situation.

"That's my secret," Jason said, stepping back towards the ledge as the sounds of an approaching train get louder. "Watch your back, Bruce," he said before letting himself jump backwards and land on the roof of the train as it passed below.

Bruce's look of surprise was the last thing he saw before Bruce could school his expression. The train rounded a corner and swept him out of view, leaving Batman to fade back into the darkness that he loved so much.

~~~

Tim knew that he needed to move. He needed to get up and stretch or do something to get out of the hunched over position that he'd been in for he didn't know how long. As soon as the unfamiliar feelings had started coursing through him the night before while he was out on patrol, he knew that something was happening. Something that he didn't know _could_ happen after so many years. He was feeling emotions that weren't his own. It was the only way to explain it because they _weren't_ his own. The anger, the nostalgia...none of it was his. He'd wanted to call out to someone. Wanted to call one of the other vigilantes and hopefully get some answers for what was going on. He wanted to know that he wasn't crazy for feeling the things that he was.

Because there was no way that Jason could've been back. He wanted to think that maybe he'd gotten a new soulmate, but he'd never even heard of such a thing before and he found it unlikely. He'd been left believing that he was going to die alone ever since Jason had been killed. He'd accepted it. He'd tried to move on with his life even though he'd always have that pain and that hole in his heart that would be telling him that something was missing from his life.

But now he was being thrown for another loop, because as much as he was trying to convince himself that Jason was very much in the ground, it didn't help that Bruce had an encounter with the new not-quite-villain that had started running around Gotham. Before Bruce had talked to him, Tim hadn't heard much about the guy. He only knew that he was working to take control of Gotham's underworld and was working to clean it up in his own way. Tim knew that he protected the working girls and the kids that weren't lucky enough to live in the better areas of town, but he wasn't afraid to kill. He wasn't afraid to do what Bruce swore would never happen.

But now he had a name. Knew that he was going by the name Red Hood and was using a red helmet to keep his identity a secret. The Joker had been the one person who'd caused the name and the identity to become so frightening in the first place. Tim knew that it wasn't him. Knew that he didn't have any interest in taking up that identity again or in helping the people who were left to live off the streets as best they could. But for someone who'd been killed at the hands of the Joker? Made to suffer and took everything from him? It would be the perfect identity to fight under. It would be taking something form the man who took everything from him.

Tim didn't want to believe it. He wanted to insist that his deductions were wrong this time even though he'd rarely ever been wrong. But he hadn't moved from his crouched position on the couch in his safehouse for what was probably hours. Had only stared at the cup of coffee that he'd made, but never drank. He probably should've been feeling something, but how exactly was he supposed to feel about his soulmate who he thought had been lost forever coming back to life? The only thing he felt at the moment was empty and emotionless, because he wasn't ready to let himself believe that Jason was really back until he saw him for himself.


	4. Chapter 4

The moment Bruce began the debrief, Tim felt a tightness in his chest. He didn't want to believe the Jason he'd loved and cared for would be capable of this horrid scene. Black Mask looked as if his body had gone through a shredder. Which might have happened considering the meat factory that Tim could identify in the background of the Gotham City Police Force's crime scene photos. Most of Black Mask's men had died hours before he had, and the possibility remained that he had been placed inside the shredder while he was still alive, left to suffer whatever painful fate Jason had chosen. Yet it was difficult to tell the time of death or even what killed him due to his body pieces lying in a pile and burnt to a crisp. Overkill, so he was either angry or he didn't want Mask to be identified. A closed casket funeral for sure.

Tim was brought back to the present out of his thoughts by Damian's muttering. "You might as well tell them everything."

"What did you say?" Bruce turned his non-reflecting eyes towards Damian, a frown now gracing the part of his face that wasn't covered by the cowl.

"We know who did this," he ground out through clenched teeth. "It was the guy with the hood, the red one. Don't tell me you've already forgotten about the masked man who knew your name!"

" _Oh, god. No. It can't be him_ ," Tim's face paled further at the mention of the Joker's alias. " _There is no way that Jason would take that name. Unless... he was trying to destroy what the Joker stood for. Take his name and make it his own after Joker took what could've been his away from him. But would Jason do something this extreme. How could he even be back?_ "

Tim shook himself from the thoughts. He had to view this as any other case and put the matter behind him. It could wait for when the time came to answer such questions. the feeling in his chest had to be a freak accident. Thinking the fluttering wasn't his own was his own imagination. The desires that he'd long thought he'd buried under his pain and sadness. Except...the feelings were strongly rooted in anger. So much anger. Tim fisted his hand at his side. He couldn't go down that path yet. He had to focus on what was in front of him.

"What's Dami talking about?" For once Dick didn't have a cheerful smile on his face. He faced Bruce and the graphic pictures laid out in front of them. His usual anxious body was completely still as if what he'd seen had petrified him.

"Why's a little kid even in here? Should you be allowed to even see this?" Stephanie muttered to break the tension in the air. Her comment was met by a glare from Damian, but other than that she was ignored.

"The other day I encountered an individual with the knowledge of who I am. I don't know the extent of his knowledge yet, nor do I have an inkling of who he is." The creases around Bruce's mouth deepened with his frown. "It's rather concerning, but there is a possibility that this was him. But it's also possible he had no knowledge of this event." Bruce gave a pointed look at Damian.

"Yet Damian wouldn't be introducing the idea to entertain it if he didn't believe or suspect that this man had something to do with it," Tim said as he stood up and walked towards the large computer in the dark damp cave to access his logs. "I think this Red Hood guy might be a part of the crime activity. There's been talk of a fierce new player in the game. Apparently, he already has control of most of Gotham's underworld. My contacts in the ground aren't talking anymore and neither are the prostitutes."

Tim turned to face the other vigilantes after he accessed the last reports from his contacts.

"The last log is over a month ago," Stephanie commented as she walked closer to the computer screen. "He was suspicious though. So now he's probably dead for talking or deep enough that he can't report without blowing his cover."

"He's dead." Tim moved back in to pull up another file. This time a coroner report graced the screen. "John Doe found shot in the head, execution style. No DNA, fingerprint, or even a hair. Nothing left behind by the killer. Yet it isn’t as graphic as Black Mask, so I assume this was a mercy killing."

“As if he didn't plan on killing anyone that didn’t already have something coming for them. This guy just got in the way.” Stephanie nodded her head in understanding, “He’s just trying to kill those who are deserving of a painful death. A vigilante.” She turned her head towards Bruce as if expecting some brilliant bit of advice from him.

Dick whistled lowly, "How would he have even found your inside man? I don't think Oracle was even able to find out who he was."

A muscle in Tim's face twitched downward indicating his confusion on the matter, "I'm not sure how he would've found him and that's what's making me hesitant to send someone else. Until I know a way to keep them safe I've called off all my contacts. They're not suppose to associate with me at all for their own protection."

"Understandable." Bruce turned towards the screen and dismissed the group. "Tell me if you're approached by this man or if you find anything about him. Do not approach him. He's dangerous."

\--

Jason had been searching for a while, inside of himself he yearned to find something. Anything. The fleeting moment of surprise was gone just as fast as it had come. Instead, faint denial replaced any other feeling, but for Jason to even feel that little bit of emotion, he had to search for ten solid minutes. In his absence his soulmate had receded into himself. They had closed off even further after Jason's anger reached them. He could feel them flinch and he could hear, for a slight moment, their screams of anguish. The thought brought tears to his eyes and anger into his heart. He caused his soulmate pain, all his life he'd caused him pain and even now he couldn't comfort him.

Some part of Jason knew what he was doing wasn't something Bruce would approve of. If he continued in this way he may never be able to come home. Except this, this mayhem was for them. To protect them from the darkness they might tread into. That John Doe in the morgue, he killed him because he figured out his name. He knew that this was a contact, but there was no way it was Bruce's. That left the new kids-they were just kids-and Dick. He figured Robin was Damian, but for the life of him he couldn't solve the puzzle of Red Robin. He didn't make a lick of sense. Where did Bruce even find him?

Another part of his soul demanded blood. It sought and seethed madly until Jason beat the evil out of the criminals. The rage only grew stronger the longer and farther his soulmate receded. The farther Jason went the stronger his rage became, just in case he could reach him through that one feeling. Even if it was just his fingertips. Just a graze against his skin so they were both certain they weren't alone anymore.

“One day soon my love,” Jason murmured as he turned towards his reflection in the apartment window. Sometimes he believed that if he stared long enough he might see his soulmate through their eyes. At times he swore he could; he’d get strange glimpses of a company, a well-furnished mansion, and many screens of information. Most of the time he couldn’t understand a thing on them, but every now and then he’d see a name he recognized. His thoughts were that his soulmate was a hacker of sorts or he worked for a lot of rich people. It was a fitting pair in his eyes: a dead hero and a techie. How romantic.

He pushed himself up from the couch and away from the thoughts of his soulmate for the moment. His next stop was Drake Industries. The company was buying off too many shady businesses for his liking and he needed to make sure this guy wasn't going to try and take over what he’d slowly been making his own. His hard work wasn't going to be taken over by some pencil pushing nobody.

\--

Jason set his cameras up remotely inside the main office. He wouldn’t hack the guy's system since he didn't know what kind of security detail he had. It wouldn't do to trigger an alarm or alert the guy he was watching. He set small drones to fly in and place the cameras exactly where he wanted them. He knew he was taking a risk setting up his tech during the day, but he didn't need any other vigilante's catching him in the act. He paused when he saw the office was occupied, but he couldn't back out, not now.

" _He's rather cute,"_ Jason thought as he piloted the drones.

Tim Drake, the heir to the company, was seated in what used to be his father’s seat. He typed quickly, bringing up files and discarding them within the blink of an eye. A security report popped up on the side of his screen and caught his eye. It alerted him that his secretary had left his window open and some insects had flown in. He frowned. Something didn’t seem right to him. His skin felt clammy and his heart beat excitedly, almost as though in anticipation of something.

His secretary walked in to hand him the statements on Black Mask’s companies. It was Tim’s plan to buy up the stocks and take it over, like his father had tried to do to Wayne Enterprises. Except he would succeed in this. He would be able to reform that company until it was no longer corrupt. It would become something that worked for the city, not against it.

Tim leaned back in his plush chair and saw something gleam out of the corner of his eye. It reminded him of the small cameras they used when they were casing offices or apartments for information. He discreetly pulled up his security coding and changed it to identify any unknown signals. A couple pings followed and he tapped a finger against his chin. It seemed the Red Hood was watching out for Black Mask's company stocks and felt threatened by his interest in them.

He smiled. Maybe the guy thought he was trying to take over his part of the underworld.

Tim picked up his phone to text Barbara.

_Tim: Hey, can you shut off the unknown signal I just sent to you? Make sure the person receiving it knows Batman figured out he was trying to watch my companies._

_Barbara: Of course, Timmy. Are they watching you?_

_Tim: Yep._

A beep from his computer alerted Tim that the signal had been cut off and another outside force was tracing it back.

_Tim: Who are you sending after him?_

Barbara: Dick, but the guy's already gone.

Tim frowned. He must be damn fast to have noticed so soon.

\--

" _Damn Babs, I forgot how good she is. Now I have to abandon one of my safe houses,"_  Jason thought with a frown. He'd just have to confront Mr. Drake outside of work to find out what he was planning to do with an evil mastermind's company. He rolled his eyes. This whole process could've been so much less messy.


End file.
